How do I 90-Degree Park a Car?

by Rhonda Dents

Tara Novak/Demand Media

Parking at a 90-degree angle, also referred to as a perpendicular parking, is often used in parking lots, shopping centers and sometimes along street curbs. With a little practice, parking at a 90-degree angle can become an easy task.

Step 1

Select a parking space that has enough room on each side for you to enter and exit your car comfortably.

Step 2

Turn on your right or left signal, according to the direction you will turn to enter the space. This communicates to other drivers and pedestrians that you are preparing to park.

Step 3

Approach the space by slowly swinging your car away from the row of cars containing the space. The further away you are from the space, the easier it will be to drive into it. A good distance is at least eight feet between your car and the row of cars in which you are parking.

Step 4

Position your car so your front bumper is slightly past the taillights of the car immediately before your selected space. Your car should be facing straight forward. Pay close attention to the parking space you are about to pull into, particularly the lines on either side of it.

Step 5

Turn the wheel sharply, and enter the space slowly. Straighten the wheels as you pull into the spot, centering your vehicle as you enter the space.

Step 6

Check to verify that your car is centered in the parking spot. If it is too close to one side or the other, shift your car into reverse and back straight out until you can see the yellow lines in front of you. Correct your angle as you move your car forward, centering your car so there is equal space on either side of it.

Step 7

Pull far enough into the space so that your rear bumper does not extend into the driving lane of the parking lot. The front of your vehicle should not cross the vertical line in front of the space. Stop with your wheels straight and your vehicle centered in the space.

References

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